Epiphany 2 A
Behold
St. John 1:29-42a
15 January 2017 – Redeemer
Behold. When one of the Gospel writers writes the little word, “Behold. it is time to pay attention. They want you to see something you’ve never seen before.
Saint Matthew likes the Word “Behold.” He used it about 40 times in his Gospel. When the Angel visited Joseph it began, “Behold, while Joseph was considering these things.” The same angel the prophecy from Isaiah to Joseph and it begins, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive.” After the birth of Jesus Matthew writes, “Behold, wise men from the east came.” When Jesus life was in danger, “Behold” an angel appear to Joseph to warn him. When Jesus was baptized, “Behold, the heavens were opened.” And “Behold, a voice spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son.” Saint John doesn’t use ‘behold” nearly as often as Saint Matthew, but twice in today’s Gospel reading.
Behold is the quintessential Epiphany word. When someone in the Gospel says, “Behold” he is calling you to see something new, to receive a revelation, to have an Epiphany. Not surprisingly, the “behold”s of the Gospels usually call on us to see Jesus and in Him to see something we’ve never seen before.
The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” We’re going to get to that behold in a minute (or five), but let’s behold what John says next. This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.” Jesus is six months younger than John. John was born first. Jesus came after. You can bet that when John and Jesus played together as kids John always told Jesus, “but I’m older than you.” That’s how kids are. Here, however John gives us an Epiphany – Jesus came after John – six months, but Jesus was before John. How can that be?
Here is Epiphany #1 in the text which John makes clear a few verses later. “This (Jesus) is the Son of God.” Jesus is no ordinary man. He is the only begotten Son of God wrapped in human flesh. That’s an amazing Epiphany, one confirmed again and again in the New Testament record. God has become a man. The man Jesus is also the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Himself made the claim again and again, “I and the Father are one.” (Jn 10:30) “Whoever who has seen me has seen the Father.” (Jn 14:9) He demonstrated that He was God – He changed water into wine, fed 5000 people with a few loaves of bread and some fish. He calmed the seas and walked on water.
But this epiphany by itself is not enough to help us., for it leaves us with questions. Should we rejoice over this epiphany or fear it? Why has God Himself come into the world? Is the world a pleasing place that He is going to commend or a messed up place He will condemn? And what does He think of you? He became a man for a reason – obviously to deal with mankind – so how will He regard you? If Jesus treated you like Zacchaeus and said, “I’m coming to your house today,” would you be pleased to have Jesus at your table or would you be a little concerned about what He might discuss with you?
Listen to the “behold” of the text for your answer. John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Behold The Lamb. John’s hearers knew about lambs – lambs were for sacrifice. Every year hundreds, if not thousands of lambs were sacrificed at their Passover festival. When John said, “Behold the Lamb” the Holy Spirit was directing the congregation to look back in their history – back to their slavery in Egypt, when their lives were ruled by fear and oppression under Pharaoh. But the Lord sent a Savior – a guy named Moses, and with Moses came 10 plagues. In the last plague God sent the angel of death throughout Egypt killing every firstborn male – man and animal. But in the Israelite households God provided a substitute – a lamb. That lamb’s blood was spread on the doorposts of the house and the lamb’s flesh was eaten and death passed over the house. The next day the Israelites were set free from Egypt.
Now is the end of all those lambs, says John, for this man is “The Lamb.” The Lamb to end all Lambs – God’s very own Lamb. Not the little lambs of earth, but the Lamb of God from heaven.
At this Epiphany your heart should begin to hope, for lambs were sacrifices. Lambs were substitutes. Could it be that the only Son of God has come to go in your place? Could it be that God’s Son became a man to set you free from sin and death, that God’s wrath might pass over you? Has He come to substitute His death for your sins so that the whip of death might no longer strike fear into you or rule your life?
Yes, yes, and yes. For John finishes his little “behold” sermon, “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He has come to take away the sin of the world. None of you need me to tell you that life, including your own, isn’t what you want it to be. Just look at our ever growing prayer list – cancer, surgery, alzheimers. That list doesn’t include the marriages that are strained, the souls struggling with depression or wrestling with addiction. You may not need to me to remind you of all your troubles and fears, but you do need me to tell you that sin is behind it all. You need to know that, because if you do not believe that your sin, my sin, our sin is the reason our bodies age and our minds break down and we have strife with those we love, then you will miss the joy of Epiphany when John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
You can only behold your Savior in Jesus if you behold your own sin. You only need the Lamb of God if you know you cannot save yourself from sin and death. Jesus has come to take away your sin – and when He takes that away everything that clings to you because of sin is also taken away. Three days after the Lamb of God was sacrificed on the cross He rose to life – never to die again. That was the beginning of the end of death – Christ rose. When your sins are taken away you too will rise. And in that resurrection your eyes will behold your conscience without guilt, your body without aging, your life without death, your will without sin. That’s all yours when you behold by faith the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
One of the common designations for Jesus during the Epiphany season is to call Him “The Morning Star.” That reference was in our Hymn of the Day today in the first Stanza “No sphere his light confining, no star so brightly shining as He, our Morning Star.” The morning star is that last star in the sky before the dawn of a new day. All is dark except for that one bright star and its lone presence in the darkness signals a new day. That is Christ Jesus – in this dark world He alone shines – for He took away the sin of the world. He took away your sin. That’s the end of the darkness and marks the beginning of a new day – a bright and glorious day. Forgiven of your sins you have life eternal. Forgiven of your sins you have the certainty of the resurrection. Forgiven of your sins the Father is as well pleased with you as He is with Jesus. No wonder we need to “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
14 January 2017 anno Domini